Ness of Burgi fort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ness of Burgi fort |
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| Mainland, Shetland, Scotland | |
Ness of Burgi fort from the west
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 Ness of Burgi fort
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| Coordinates | 59°51′32″N 1°18′32″W / 59.859013°N 1.308961°W |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Built | Iron age |
| Materials | Stone |
The Ness of Burgi fort is an ancient stone fort built during the Iron Age. It's located on a narrow piece of land called the Ness of Burgi in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. This fort is part of the larger Old Scatness archaeological site, which helps us learn about people who lived there long ago.
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Where is the Ness of Burgi Fort?
The fort is about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the village of Scatness. You can reach it by walking along a grassy path. This path leads to the headland of the Ness of Burgi. The fort sits on a rocky point on the east side of this land. It is open for visitors to explore at any time.
What Does the Fort Look Like?
The Ness of Burgi fort is a type of promontory fort. This means it was built on a piece of land that sticks out into the sea. This natural position helped protect it.
The Blockhouse Structure
The main part of the fort is called a blockhouse. It was likely built around 100 BC. This blockhouse seems very large for the area it was meant to protect. Experts think it might have been built more to impress people than just to defend.
The blockhouse was built as part of the fort's main wall. Interestingly, the walls do not reach the very edges of the cliffs on either side. There is no sign that the walls were once longer. Their ends look neatly finished. This suggests that the gaps were left on purpose. It makes us wonder if defense was the most important thing for the builders. In fact, other spots on the promontory offer equally good natural defenses.
Similar Ancient Forts
The way this fort's defensive wall is "incomplete" is similar to other ancient structures. These include the forework of the Broch of Clickimin, the Huxter Fort, and the Crosskirk Broch. These older structures might have been early versions of the brochs. Brochs are tall, round stone towers that were built later. They can be found on the islands and mainlands of Scotland and Ireland.
Images for kids
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South chamber (from the east)
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Entrance to the north chamber from inside the chamber looking to the south
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North chamber from the south and above
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Entrance from the west into the passage
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Entrances viewed from the east
